THE TURF

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 169, 6 April 1918, Page 11

THE TURF

NOTES AND COMMENTS

[By Glbncob.] Eain has fallen in Auckland during Thursday and Friday, and even if the weather is fins to-day the going at Avondale is certain to be on the heavy side. Present indications ai'o that Rebel may go out favourite in the Avondale Handicap. He" was not a runner at the Easier Meeting at EHers'te, bufiis form at the country meetings was good, and he won races at the Itotorua, Te Aroha, and Ohinemuri Meetings. lu the Ohinemuri Cup he won jn good style from Waiut.n. ijiid Uncle Ned, who filled the places, while others in the race were the wellperformed Fionnuala and Royal Irish. Rebel's form of late has been good, but on tho other hand he does not find his feet Quickly, though ho has a great burst of pace when he settles down. Those engaged in the Maiden Handicap at Avondale this 'iftornoon comprise a very'ffiOfierato lot, but if a good rider is on Debutants, she may be hard to beat. Ifeport says Gray will have the mount-. Cordite has pace, and will bo out in front in the Maiden Avondale, but he is bnilt on Bmall lines and does not stay out six furlongs. The uphill straight tb-day wtll not be in his favour. The Juvenile Handicap is an event for apprentice riders, aninto will not eausc backers to bet with confidence. Informal is such a brilliant beginner that few may care to select anything in to-day's race against the son ol Demosthenes. The Alison bracket. Hineamaru and Spanner will carry support, end the only others who appear to have chances aro Canzonet and Arch Lassie. The latter has improved of late, and may bring off a surprise. In the Hack Hurdles, Plcnipotent and Yankee Doodle may be best supported, but there is plenty of room for a surprise, and the event may be a good one to leave alone.

Fabrlquette has been paid up for in both the Avondale Handicap and the Bailway Handicap. Slie ran second to Lightning on Easter Saturday at Ellerslie, but then went oil iter food. Poy Reed will probably rido her in whiohever raco sho contests to-day, but she is such a slow beginner that have everything against her over sTx Furlongs if started in the Railway Handicap. The Irish-bred Oynic ran so badly at Ellerslie {hat it should be quite safe to leave in tho- Avondalo flandi-, cap. N. Cunningham, the trainer of I'olydamon, wns so disappointed with the chestnut's performance In the Tradesmen's Handicap alfHUfflSiie that he advised the owner to find other quarters for tho horse, and he has gone into P. JonesT establishment. Mangaraahoo may bo tho choice in tho Mount Boskin Handicap, but if Pierrot starts thero will be plenty to say A. Robertson's horso -jvill boat Manganntfioc. Tierrot was unTucity in the race in which lie finished 1 third at. Ellerslie. W. Ryan will ride tiim to-day. Tho steeplechase fences at Avondale arc open, and it is difficult, to stop any horse inclined to run oil from doing eo, and it iB a pretty risky business backing Otter, To Onga, or Myrax, each of whom disgraced lurnscU at .Ellerslie. A good safo fencer like .Tho Onanuel' should not be overlooked. Madam. llistori may start favourito in the Railway Handicap, in which she appears to be remarkably well handicapped. H. Gray will ridifTTer, but this means that tho Opunako winner will put up 71b. overweight. To-day's Avondale meeting will bo tho last fixture in tho Auckland district before June. When Desert Gold ran second to Wallace Isinglass recently, over two miles, tho four consecutive half-miles wero covered as follow:—s3scc., 61scc„ 513scc., and 61&ec. As a result of their buccosscs at the Addington and Hawcra trotting meetings A. Pringle and J Bryoe aro now .level in tho list of winning liorsomen, each having 16 victories to their credit. Biplane's two-year-old sister, Steel Wings, i may, or may not, prove good, but her brother's deeds have had a marked eilcct ! upon her price in twelvo months. As a | yearling she was sold in the autumn of ! last year for 475gn5., again in November ! last for TOOgss., and laßt week for 1500gns. ! Steel Wines was started in the two-year-1 j old event at the vecont Moonee Valley • Mooting, but did not run at all promI inently. I The next mission of the English-bred I 1 Gay Lad, who won the Addington Han- I I dicap at liiccarton on Tuesday is the Tim- j ! aru Cup. 1 H. Gray, although ho gave the other I jockeys a handy start, is now well at the I head of tho winning list for the season. ' His wins number 61, and next to him cornea Roy Reed (33), followed by 0. Emer--1 son (28), J. O'Shea -26), and A. Eeed (26). I The right to the first call on the ser--1 vices of W. H. M'Lachlan, the crack Aus- | tralian jockey, is held by Mr. E. J. Watt, tho cx-New Zealand, sportsman. I The war notwithstanding, the "Deutncher Sport" says that one horso put up i a record in the way of stakes in Germany laßt year. This was Savoyard, who won £4400 in Jumping races, beating the previous German best of £3961, credited to Forefather (a son of Forfarshire), in 1910. Mr. E. J. Watt has distributed Mb horses among Sydney trainers as follows: All Aboard (All Blaok—Float) and t.he_ Wolawa—Tatters gelding and Wolawa—Blacking yarling filly will bo trained by J. Whitworth; the two-year-old Pontoon (Wo- j lawa—Float), and the Martian—Grand ; Rain gelding (2yrs.), by H. Raynsr; and tho Wolawa—Muskorry filly, All Black— La Notto colt, Hymettns—ldee filly, and Wolawa—Perseis colt by G. P. Nailon. Those in tho letter's care are all yearlings. Tt was expectcd that Red Pennant, who had been under the care of F. Davis, would go into Nailon's stable.